Abstract

ACE technology offers an alternative to metal salts or polymer and polyelectrolyte addition for breaking stable emulsions and suspensions and removing certain metals and other soluble pollutants in the polishing step of effluent treatment. Electrocoagulation introduces highly-charged polyhydroxide aluminum species into aqueous media that start the flocculation of colloidal particles and destabilization of oil-in-water emulsions. The ACE technology can be applied to various aqueous-based suspensions and emulsions typically generated by contaminated groundwater, surface runoff, and landfill leachate. The suspensions can include solids such as inorganic and organic pigments, clays, metallic powders, metal ores, and natural colloidal matter. The emulsions can include a variety of organic solid and liquid contaminants, including petroleum-based by-products. Reductions exceeding 90 percent in the loadings of aqueous clay, latex, and titanium dioxide suspensions have been frequently reached. Chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon levels in diesel fuel-spiked slurries were reduced over 80 percent. The second year of laboratory-scale testing and development of the technology has been completed and optimization of the treatment procedure to both minimize electric power consumption and maximize effluent throughtput rates has been successful.

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Posted February 16, 2000

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